


Getting Better is a Work in Progress

by nonsensical-hope (HexIce)



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2013-02-22
Packaged: 2017-11-28 05:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/670658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HexIce/pseuds/nonsensical-hope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Getting over George Wickham isn't as easy as it seems, as Gigi knows. William wouldn't let her help get rid of him, but she can still help the Bennets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. AW: After Wickham

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written fan fiction (or any fiction, for that matter) in a very long time, but the LBD is too hard to resist! I apologise for my rusty prose.

The Bennet household has always been a noisy one, full of little girls playing, laughing and fighting or teenagers playing loud music or simply the bustle of a full house. It got quiet for a while when the sisters left, but upon their return the yelling and crying could be heard from the street. Now, an oppressive silence fills each room.

Lizzie looks at her camera, but doesn’t turn it on; Jane sighs softly and picks up the cold cup of tea from outside Lydia’s door; Mrs Bennet sleeps, aided by new polls the doctor subscribed for her nerves; Mr Bennet holds a book, but he hasn’t turned a page in almost an hour. Lydia listens, hearing guilt, sadness and shame in the silence. She preferred the angry yelling of the past two days over this, being left to her own thoughts. 

Downstairs the doorbell rings and Lydia strains to hear who Jane is talking to. She hates herself a little more for the way her heart races when someone knocks on her door. It’s not him, she knows it’s not him, knows it won’t be him ever again (and that that’s a good thing) but the hope comes anyway. When her sisters came, she ignored them, but curiosity stirs her this time and she opens the door a sliver.

The girl is a stranger, small and pretty and somehow familiar. ‘Hi Lydia, I’m Gigi.’

_They have the same eyes._ ‘Darcy’s sister.’

‘And George’s ex.’ There’s something in the way she says his name that makes Lydia open the door further, letting the younger woman into the room. 

William had been against Gigi coming here. It was a mix of him not wanting Lizzie to find out he’d helped Lydia and general big brother over-protectiveness, but eventually she had worn him down with pleas, promises and the assertion of the fact that she needed to do this, for herself. Looking at Lydia, she knew she’d been right to come. 

‘So what did he do to you?’ the redhead asked, flopping onto her bed. Lydia was trying to sound nonchalant, but yelling and crying had left her voice raspy and weak.

‘We started dating secretly. He convinced me to let him move in, used my money to keep up with his gambling and partying, got me to lie to William – which I’d never done before, he’s my only family – made me feel like I mattered, like he needed me. Made me fall in love with him.’ Gigi paused, holding Lydia’s gaze, because those last words were the ones that mattered most, the real reason Wickham was able to cause so much pain – because he made them fall in love, and love doesn’t just go away because you know he’s bad for you. ‘And then he walked away when William offered him money to get out of my life.’

‘Your brother the hero, rescuing damsels in distress wherever he goes.’ Lydia waits for the younger girl to defend him, or tell her how lucky she is that Darcy was willing to help, or even to start on about what a douche George is, but Gigi gives no response. ‘When did it happen?’

‘About a year ago.’

‘And how long…’ _Did it take to stop missing him? To stop waiting around like a lovesick puppy and wishing that somehow they got it all wrong?_

‘Longer than I told William it did. But it’s not a reflection on you, not badly anyway. You can’t help who you love.’

‘I shouldn’t have gone near him in the first place – he was Lizzie’s ex, and –‘

‘It’s not your fault, Lydia.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Ok then, let’s play the blame game – maybe it’s Lizzie’s fault for not telling you what was in William’s letter; maybe it’s William’s fault for not keeping an eye on George to make sure he didn’t do it again; maybe it’s my fault for not telling everyone I possibly could about what he did; maybe it’s Mary’s fault, or Charlotte’s, or Jane’s, for being too busy to watch your videos – or maybe, just maybe, the only person at fault is the manipulative jerkwad who _actually hurt you._ ’ Gigi didn’t yell or growl – her voice was low and steady, both steel and compassion in her tone. Wickham’s ability to place the blame on anyone but himself was always one of the most deadly parts of his charm. 

Lydia’s eyes were still watery, but she gave a weak half smile. ‘You’re nothing like your brother.’

Gigi returned the grin. ‘We’re more alike than he lets on.’


	2. Sisters, Videos and Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane joins Lydia and Gigi for a movie night. Issues rise to the surface. I'm terrible at Chapter Summaries.

Jane understood what it was like to have a broken heart, and she knew what Lydia needed most was love and time. Of course, Bing leaving wasn’t really comparable to what George Wickham had done to poor Lydia, but a broken heart is painful whatever the cause. She knocked on her youngest sister’s door. 

‘Lydia – oh, hello Gigi, it’s so nice to see you, I didn’t know you were still here. Lydia, I made your favourite hazelnut cookies.’

‘Thanks.’ Lydia’s voice was flat, and she made no move to take a cookie. Jane sat down beside her, nudging the girls shoulder affectionately with her own. 

The first few days there had been so many tears and Lydia’s wretched sobs had caused Jane physical pain, but at this moment she’d have preferred them. _This isn’t my Lydia._ Lydia was defined by her passion – it was both her blessing and her curse. It wasn’t in her nature to love people by halves, and if she wasn’t delighting with her smile she was wreaking havoc with her tears or anger. Even when calm or lonely she was always vibrant, never still, never numb. Jane was full of fear and anger. _There is nothing good about George Wickham. Well, he is handsome, but he uses his looks to hurt people, which makes him worse._

‘I’ve got a few more days before I need to go back to San Francisco,’ Gigi said brightly. ‘We were just going to watch a movie – wanna stay?’

‘Sure! What movie?’

Lydia shrugged and took a cookie. Gigi met Jane’s eyes with a sad glance before answering with a forced smile. ‘We narrowed it down to Kill Bill or Thelma and Louise.’

Jane decided that Gigi’s if-we’re-with-her-and-happy-maybe-it’ll-help-her-be-happy-too plan was worth a try. ‘Kill Bill is a bit too brutal for me.’

‘Thelma and Louise it is then.’

‘No.’ Lydia’s voice was soft, but it caught their attention instantly. 

‘You want to watch Kill Bill instead?’

Lydia sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat. ‘No. I want to watch Lizzie’s videos.’

‘Are you sure that’s a good –‘

‘I want to watch them.’

Jane nodded, seeing that the fabled Bennet stubborn streak was making an appearance. _It's something, at least._ ‘I’ll get Lizzie’s computer. Squish up, you two!’

They started with Episode 76, the first one after Jane and Lydia left. At first Jane’s gaze flickered to Lydia’s face frequently, but she was soon drawn in to her videos. Gigi had already watched them all (several times) and focused on the sisters instead. She felt a touch of pride when Lydia smirked a little when she watched Gigi lock Darcy and Lizzie in together, and felt happier still as Lydia took Jane’s hand when Bing appeared. 

They’d been worried watching would cause Lydia pain, that it would only make her think of the fight and being with George, but they were wrong – this brought her back to her sisters, reminded her of the world outside of Wickham. Gigi tensed again when Episode 82 started – it still shamed her to think of her relationship with George, and the way she’d treated William. It was also the first time he’d been directly mentioned in the videos, so she wasn’t entirely surprised when Lydia fled the room before the outro. Gigi stood. 

‘No, I’ll go after her,’ Jane said, pulling the brunette down and squeezing her hand. ‘Thank you for helping, but she’s my sister.’

Lydia was curled up in one of her favourite places, behind the curtains of the window seat in the den. For a second she looked eight years old again, sulking because Charlotte and Lizzie wouldn’t let her play with them. _If only._

Jane folded her long limbs together gracefully to fit beside her. ‘Hey.’

‘Why doesn’t she like me?’

‘Who?’ Jane was confused. Wasn’t this about George?

‘Lizzie,’ Lydia replied with a sob. 

‘Oh sweetheart, of course she likes you! She loves you, she just had to go and see Dr Gardiner –‘

‘I don’t mean that – I mean, look at her with Gigi, she _likes_ her, she thinks she’s funny and nice and cool and values her opinion – but if _I’d_ shut her in with someone she’d go nuts! They even did karaoke together – I have to _beg_ to make her come with me! Gigi is just like me, except she’s into sports instead of parties. She’s still irresponsible! But Lizzie doesn’t lecture her or yell at her or insult her on the internet. I’m her _sister_ , but she likes Gigi more.’

Jane hugged her tightly as she cried, making soothing noises. ‘Lydia sweetie, did you stop to think that maybe Lizzie likes Gigi because she reminds her of you?’ She sighed. ‘Lizzie lectures you because she loves you. She forgets sometimes that people can look after themselves and tries to control them to keep them safe, or near her – remember that fight she had with Charlotte?’ Lydia nodded. ‘Sometimes Lizzie’s wrong and she hurts people, but everything she does is out of love.’

Lydia pouted. ‘That doesn’t mean she likes me.’

‘She does. As much as she complains, she’s never really had to go along to Carter’s with you – she does it because she wants to be with you, and because she’s a bit jealous that you’re brave enough to do all the wild things you do. You drive each other mad sometimes, but you make her laugh more than anything else. Sometimes she… she might not like some of the things you do, but she does like _you_.’ Lydia burrowed her head in Jane’s shoulder and they sat together for a few minutes before she stood. ‘I should go check on Gigi. You’ll be OK?’

‘Yeah, always,’ Lydia scoffed with a forced smile and wiped her eyes.

The Darcy girl was sitting on Lydia’s bed where they’d left her, lost in thought. She jumped a little when Jane walked in. ‘Is she alright?’

‘She will be. Sorry for all the drama.’

‘No, it’s fine, I get it. I should go.’ Gigi picked up her bag and headed out the door, pausing in the hall. ‘I’m sorry about what William did to you and Bing. He means well, but he doesn’t always know what’s best – social skills aren’t his strong point. I know that it’s none of my business, and that there’s more to it than just William, but I just want you to know that he wouldn’t have done it if he’d known. And… I’ve known Bing for a long time, but I’ve never seen him as unhappy or un- _Bing_ as he has been these last few months.’ She saw the pain on Jane’s face, but didn’t give in to regret. _Too much knowledge is better than not enough. Let them make informed decisions._ ‘I’ll see you around, Jane.’


End file.
